I was on a 2012 MBA which I loved to write on. Ever since getting the 13" rMBP it's been a joy. So much more crisp and quick. I still use Scrivener for bigger writing projects. I like iA but for whatever reason I'm more productive on Scrivener.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Hey writers ... What do you use?
- Thread starter nightlong
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I was on a 2012 MBA which I loved to write on. Ever since getting the 13" rMBP it's been a joy. So much more crisp and quick. I still use Scrivener for bigger writing projects. I like iA but for whatever reason I'm more productive on Scrivener.
I'm using Microsoft Onenote for plotting, as I like the way notes can be dragged up and down a Section Tab and I use these Notes as my plotting cards. Then I just use Google Docs for the actual writing! If I decide to move a plot sequence around, I can't just go in and move the plot 'card' like I might in Scrivener or Storyist, but I don't have those on the Android tablet I was given, do I? (Although Storyist syncing to an Android would roll Onenote and Google Docs into the one great bit of software and would be awesome!)
Have never used an Android tablet, so don't know.
I'm enjoying my new iPad Pro 12.9 with Apple Pencil and Notability for notes and plotting, saving a lot of paper! Love the big screen, great for typing as well with a Keys To Go keyboard.
I like the Keys to Go keyboard as well. It's really one of the only keyboards I've liked that are compact enough for use with iOS devices.
I don't like the feel of apples keyboard.
I don't like the Apple keyboard for several reasons ... It is too close to the screen, only one viewing angle and for the sort of hours I do those ergonomics would be horrible. And at that price, no shortcuts or backlighting ! Pathetic.
I am so glad that this thread has been revived recently...I was about to do the same.
I realise that this post was somewhat strangely originated in the MacBook Air forum, but....
I was wondering what the writing crew thinks about this new iPad Pro 9.7 as a complete writing tool. As an academic who has longed for a usable, mobile device with a stylus (for making hand-written notes in endnote/papers, and marking student papers), and multitasking, I find this an incredibly compelling device. I am currently in the market to upgrade my current MBP (circa 2010), and am thinking that this iPad could finally tick all the boxes.
Thoughts?
I realise that this post was somewhat strangely originated in the MacBook Air forum, but....
I was wondering what the writing crew thinks about this new iPad Pro 9.7 as a complete writing tool. As an academic who has longed for a usable, mobile device with a stylus (for making hand-written notes in endnote/papers, and marking student papers), and multitasking, I find this an incredibly compelling device. I am currently in the market to upgrade my current MBP (circa 2010), and am thinking that this iPad could finally tick all the boxes.
Thoughts?
Yes, strangely originated! I was a newbie here, and in the market for new laptop which at the time seemed most likely to be the MacBook Air, and was briefly, until the 13" MBPr was released.
Anyway, haven't seen the 9.7 Pro, but the Apple Pencil is excellent, best handwriting on screen in my experience. I still have two smaller iPads, they are great for portability, especially cellular models, but for split screen, multitasking, 4 Gb Ram, the 12.9 is an amazing writing/research tool.
Scrivener is now in closed beta, with a semi-open one soon to follow.
Wow. I didn't even notice that! I just tried it out in an Apple Store on the larger Pro and didn't like the key spacing or feel and found it uncomfortable (though I'm sure I could adapt). The lack of shortcut keys kills any desire I had for it. That's seriously lame.
I use the dedicated keys on the logic keyboard for Spotlight, Siri, the app switcher, volume, etc. That's a huge announced. No home button on the keyboard? So you have to reach up and press it? That's annoying.
I only wish the Logetic keyboard had a device sleep/wake button and a brightness control button.
[doublepost=1459605252][/doublepost]
The excitement grows...
I was tempted by Ulysses, but just couldn't get on with it and if I'm going to use Markdown I want my files to be open and transferrable, not locked into a proprietary format. That goes against one of the main points of Markdown.
I use my MBA 13" when I need portability.
I also have a work (day job) 15" rMBP I use when portability isn't a concern, the retina screen makes a significant difference. And more screen size is always nice.
I'm hoping Apple puts out some kind of MBA update or replacement, because if my MBA had a retina screen I'd use it full time. And I wouldn't use anything less than 13" screen size.
Software:
Scrivener (manuscripts)
Final Draft (screenwriting)
Microsoft OneNote (for plotting)
I also have a work (day job) 15" rMBP I use when portability isn't a concern, the retina screen makes a significant difference. And more screen size is always nice.
I'm hoping Apple puts out some kind of MBA update or replacement, because if my MBA had a retina screen I'd use it full time. And I wouldn't use anything less than 13" screen size.
Software:
Scrivener (manuscripts)
Final Draft (screenwriting)
Microsoft OneNote (for plotting)
Might I suggest that screenwriters give Slugline a try. It's a truly fabulous programme, smooth, simple and a joy to use. So glad I switched. Final Draft is so damned buggy I'm surprised anyone uses it these days - not to mention its totally unjustified cost. Highland's pretty good too. Either leave FD in the dust.
Yup! Me too! One Notebook is my wiki, the next I use for plotting as you can just drag a 'scene' up or down the Section tab! Being on an Android tablet at work and iMac at home, it's the only thing that does that. If only Storyist or Scrivener would be truly cross-platform compatible!
Also an interesting comment I noticed on writing software:
"To that end, I've found LibreOffice to be a very adept tool. In fact, LibreOffice Writer is vastly superior to Microsoft Word for what I need. Not only does it hold true to file format standards, but it doesn't add extraneous hidden data to trip up the tool I use to convert files into .mobi or .epub. LibreOffice creates cleaner files... period."
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/libreoffice-5-0-the-strongest-release-to-date/
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/libreoffice-5-0-the-strongest-release-to-date/
Just fyi there are keyboard shortcuts to do some of what you're asking for. Cmd space is spotlight, cmd tab will cycle through apps, cmd h will bring you to the home screen.
I'm glad I've found this thread. I'm in need of a new Mac, i'm a screenwriter using Final Draft and a few other apps mentioned in the preceding pages.
My 2008 Macbook Unibody aluminium is rapidly falling apart after serving me so well. I did update the internals and currently have 8GB RAM and 1TB SSD. However, the battery lasts about 90 minutes and one USB (out of the two) now doesn't work. The speakers sound terrible and now even when i plug headphones in they will only play audio in one ear (the headphones play fine with my iPhone).
As a full time writer I guess Retina screen is probably the most compelling new feature I want which my 2008 Macbook doesn't have.
My feeling is I would like to buy a Macbook Pro and I can wait for the Skylake iteration. If the Macbook Retina was a little more mature I think I would choose that but the updates on that product were minimal this year. I'm looking for a machine which will last me many years like the Macbook I'm writing this on.
My 2008 Macbook Unibody aluminium is rapidly falling apart after serving me so well. I did update the internals and currently have 8GB RAM and 1TB SSD. However, the battery lasts about 90 minutes and one USB (out of the two) now doesn't work. The speakers sound terrible and now even when i plug headphones in they will only play audio in one ear (the headphones play fine with my iPhone).
As a full time writer I guess Retina screen is probably the most compelling new feature I want which my 2008 Macbook doesn't have.
My feeling is I would like to buy a Macbook Pro and I can wait for the Skylake iteration. If the Macbook Retina was a little more mature I think I would choose that but the updates on that product were minimal this year. I'm looking for a machine which will last me many years like the Macbook I'm writing this on.
Welcome to the thread! Waiting on the next MBP as well. Badly need 4k support and an outstanding keyboard.
I expect to do more video chatting/video conference in the future is the 480p iSight camera on the Retina macbook really terrible? What is the likelihood the FaceTime HD (720p) in the Retina Macbook Pro gets upgraded in a future iteration or is there little need to improve this type of camera on a laptop?
[doublepost=1463337704][/doublepost]To my way of thinking, there are only two things that matter to a writer: the screen and the keyboard. No laptop I know of has a great keyboard; they're all some variation on okay. The Retina screen is terrific. You can't go wrong there. I have used Final Draft for years and a variety of other screenwriting programs. At the moment, I am enjoying FADE IN.
FWIW
Adam Rodman
The 13" MacBook Pro is excellent ... Great retina screen, solid build but still portable, I connect it to 24" screen with mouse and apple keyboard for a better ergonomic situation when at a desk, but mostly use it on a cushion-backed board on my lap in a reclining chair. The smaller rMb screen is too small for me.
I also love the 12.9 iPad Pro for writing, with a Logitech Keys To Go keyboard.
I also love the 12.9 iPad Pro for writing, with a Logitech Keys To Go keyboard.
Scrivener is the last thing keeping me on OS X and iOS and only really because of few legacy projects. Everything new I've written since 2013 has been in Markdown and Asciidoc and mostly under Linux.
If Scrivener doesn't live up to the hype on iOS then I'll likely grandfather my Apple devices and make the full switch to Linux.
True, hype was the wrong word. Expectation is more appropriate. We've been taking about an iOS version over in the LitNLatt forums since 2011!
Hi Osty, have you looked at Storyist? In some ways I think I would prefer this to Scrivener, as it has a very tidy character sheet section as well as the notes attached to each chunk of writing. It already has a phone and ipad version.
http://storyist.com/
Last edited:
I have, yes and I liked it a lot apart from a couple of nitpicks. I'm waiting (like many) to see what iOS Scrivener is like before I decide if I'm going to jump ship.
If one of them went truly multi-platform, I'd be delighted! A friend gave me a free Android Samsung tablet, and of course neither work on that so I'm forced to use Onenote for plot & character sketching, and Google Docs for actual writing! Onenote's not bad for plot sketching, but nothing like having each 'card' actually attached to each chunk of writing.